About Alder Will Ochowicz (he/him)

Hello, my name is Will Ochowicz (he/him), and I’m very proud to have been elected as your District 2 alder!

My professional experience is mainly focused on technology and software development. After I graduated in 2017 from UW-Madison with a degree in Chemical Engineering, I realized that I wanted to work in technology, and I began taking night classes in order to earn a Capstone degree in Computer Science. After working a few jobs, I went back to school (again) to earn a master’s in computer science from UT-Austin through an online program, mostly while working. And just this last July, I started working at Findhelp, which is a company dedicated to connecting people who need help with the social service programs that provide it. I count myself lucky to work for a software company that actually helps improve people’s lives!

I also am the founder and a lead for Madison is for People (MifP), a local YIMBY group. We are dedicated to increasing housing choices, making it easier to build housing, and funding affordable housing so that people can get the housing that they need. We have been organizing around housing issues for several years and building a broad coalition of pro-housing voices.

That brings me to my goals as you D2 alder:

1. I want to lower housing costs by updating our zoning code, utilizing land banking to build affordable housing on city-owned land, and increasing the affordable housing fund to build dedicated affordable housing.
2. I also want to help make you feel safer and move around better on our streets. The city has a list of streets and intersections that are prioritized for Vision Zero and I want to help bring those projects to fruition. I will also be serving on the Transportation Committee, where I will be dedicated to city-wide safety improvements and prioritizing bus, bike, and pedestrian infrastructure.
3. Prioritizing the health of both you and our environment is a priority.  I want to work with the county to get our lakes cleaned up and remove PFAs and phosphorus contamination.

I live on Blair Street in an apartment with my wife and our dog, Hamlet (pronounced Omelette). I’m always proud to say we married in one of Madison’s beautiful parks, Yahara Place Park, and we love living downtown. We frequently walk around James Madison Park or bike to a local bookstore. Say hi if you see me in the neighborhood or reach out at district2@cityofmadison.com, and please subscribe to my blog!